


Aftermath

by SerMisty



Series: PolyPearls [21]
Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Blue Pearl is mute, Discrimination, F/F, Homeworld sucks, Multi, White Pearl Theory, Yellow must be protected, general homeworld and diamond's shittness, this became more of a political debate about Homeworld rulers I'm sorry
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-13
Updated: 2016-07-13
Packaged: 2018-07-23 20:23:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,664
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7478661
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SerMisty/pseuds/SerMisty
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Pearl is gone. <br/>This is what happens right after.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Aftermath

**Author's Note:**

> After always looking at Pearl's escape through Pearl's pov, I thought it was necessary to have a look at the events from Blue and Yellow's pov.   
> This in the end became more of a political debate I'm sorry. I hope you enjoy - look out, general homeworld's racism ahead. Also, headcanons. Rated T to be sure.

_She’s gone_. 

The smell of smoke is caught in her nostrils, the screams and shrieks come muffled to her dull ears. 

_She’s gone_. 

She’s only half aware of her own voice scratching her throat as she shouts, only half aware of her arms holding Blue still. 

_She’s gone_. 

She can still see her, though her vision is getting blurry by tears that burns but won’t fall. She can see her running, further and further away, until she can’t see her anymore. 

_She’s gone_. 

She’s gone and for a moment Yellow believes that she could just remain there, forever, immobile as one of those celebratory statues her Diamond is so proud of, until they move her or laugh at her for being so embarrassingly _broken_. 

_She’s gone_. 

She’s gone and Blue is the one that drags her back to reality, quickly, painfully, leaving her gasping for breaths she doesn’t need. It’s Blue struggling to escape from her grip, it’s Blue’s tears that fall on her bare arm now that she has hidden her face there. It’s Blue, it’s always her, and now it’s _only_ her. 

_She’s gone and Pink Diamond is dead and everything is on fire and everyone is screaming and they should not be down there_. 

In a blink of an eye, she’s awake. Her mind completely in autopilot, but rational as never before, she realizes what is happening and what they need to do. 

«Blue» her first time trying to catch her attention passes unheard, so she tries again, louder, her throat hurts. «Blue!» 

Blue squirms in her arms, hard enough to be a struggle, but not really trying to set herself free.   
She wants to follow White, but she doesn’t, and either case Yellow won’t risk it. 

White is gone. 

«Blue!» she calls for the third time, taking her by the shoulder and shaking. Blue is still crying, her mouth opens and close in silent wails of pain – _oh stars, the pain_ – but she keeps still, looking at her from behind her bangs. 

«Blue, we need to go back _right now_ ». 

Fires from various directions light Blue’s face as she gasps, and Yellow is lucky that she’s holding her shoulders, because she can pull her close the very moment she tries to flee. Blue shakes her head and one hand hangs at Yellow’s shoulder pad and the other points there where White has disappeared. 

There where dozens of bulky quartz are running, yelling, and this is the first time Yellow is glad they’re Pearls, because nobody is wasting a single look on them. 

«We need to – Blue, right now, _now_ , stars!» 

Yellow grabs Blue’s wrist tight, tighter than she would like, tighter than she is used to, then turns around and starts running. Blue follows her, obediently, but Yellow knows that she’s looking behind her shoulder, hoping to see White appear, and stars, she has to force herself not to do the same. 

They run back along the hallways and staircases they have crossed just a few minutes before, on the opposite direction, desperate for a last chance to stop White from doing _the worst mistake of her life_ , and _wow, it has ended real good, hasn’t it_. 

Yellow keeps her eyes on the ground. Different types of Quartzes – Amethysts, Chalcedonys, Tourmalines, Jaspers, stars, they are all there – pass next to them, ignoring them, and every time they push her or bump into her she’s sure they are going to stop them and ask where on Homeworld are they going. 

They don’t. 

A part of her almost wishes they would. One less Quartz following White, at least. 

Not that she deserves this courtesy. 

_She's gone_. 

Yellow turns in the hallways without really thinking about where she’s going, paths that she knows so well she could do with her eyes closed. When they reach the empty waiting room unharmed, Yellow thanks the stars for this miracle and wonders what is going to happen now, because clearly their luck must be finished. 

She lets go of Blue’s wrist to hide her face in her hands and take a deep breath – Blue runs away immediately, leaning over the window. 

«Stop!» Yellow calls, and runs after her. She grabs her again and in doing so she looks outside. 

They have called a few Lapis that are putting down the fires, and there are group of Quartzes talking to each other, and Yellow wonders what they’re saying. Gems of other types run all around, scream, ask questions, someone cries. 

It’s chaos. 

Yellow knows it. 

«Blue, listen to me» she tries to get Blue’s attention, but she keeps crying and squirming and Yellow _can’t do this_ , not now, _not now_. «Blue, stars, you need to focus!» 

She grips at her arms so hard that she’s probably hurting her, and she will ask sorry later. Once Blue goes still, she brushes her bangs to the side with a quick movement to look at her in the eyes – and _oh_ , does it hurt to see all those tears and all that pain. 

It hurts so much that all she wants to do is start crying herself, but she needs to hold on, she can’t lose it now. Not now. 

«Dry these tears» she wipes them away from one cheek with her thumb, choosing to ignore how they start falling again right after. «Listen to me. The Diamonds are coming back any moment. We don’t know anything more than what we see out of this window. We’ve only seen White in the waiting rooms, and nothing more. Understood?» 

That lie hurts, because there’s _so much_ more, and she has to throw it all away. 

_She’s gone_.

White is gone and she has left them with this burden and _how is this fair_? It’s not. Yellow feels anger exploding inside of her, but she tones it down, because it is not the time. 

She’s not White. She can control her damn emotions. 

Blue is shaking, but she nods a couple of times. Honestly, Yellow is more scared of her own actions.   
Blue wipes away her tears, and Yellow has just the time to fix her topknot before they hear voices and steps they know too well.   
They put themselves in position, still, uptight. 

Seeing Blue searching for her hand, knowing she can’t hold it, almost breaks all of Yellow’s self-control. 

The first to enter the room is White Diamond. She looks upset and distraught, absolutely furious, and similar expressions are on Blue Diamond and Yellow Diamond’s faces, who are following her.

«This must be a mistake!» White Diamond yells. «How could my Pearl do all this? Don’t be ridiculous!»   
«We all know how» Blue Diamond’s voice is deep and accusatory. 

White Diamond’s face heats up, and that’s not only embarrassment. That’s fear. 

Yellow has already an idea of what they’re talking about. 

«These are slanders, and I’ll prove it!» White Diamond shrieks, and turns to Blue, and Yellow has to force herself not to gasp. «You!» 

Blue is a mask of fear when White Diamond, big and angry and scary, walks up to her and bends down to grab her arm.   
Yellow mentally slaps herself for holding her so hard before. 

«Where is my Pearl?» White Diamond shakes her. «Tell me!» 

Yellow’s heart sinks to her feet and for a moment she has no idea of what to do. If she speaks she’ll get them both in troubles, but she can't stay silent and watch Blue get hurt.   
She blames it on White again. She's gone and now they're facing the consequences. 

Blue Diamond grabs White Diamond by the shoulder and violently pulls her back, sparing her from a decision. Blue stumbles, but she stays on her feet, and Yellow can breath again. 

«Leave my Pearl alone» Blue Diamond hisses, with all the interest she has for her propriety, for an object in her possession, but that’s fine to Yellow as long as Blue stays safe. «You know it doesn’t have a voice. And we all know where _your_ Pearl is».   
«No, listen, this is a mistake. This is Rose Quartz’s fault! She – she stole my Pearl and-» 

Yellow Diamond, who has been silent all this time, suddenly steps forward. Yellow knows for experience how hard her backhander can be, but seeing White Diamond fall back and crash into the wall after the hit makes her wonder if she holds back when she beats her. 

«Shut your mouth» Yellow Diamond growls. «Your Pearl was defective. That’s why it acted the way it did. And you have chosen it personally, and because of that you are just as responsible as it is!»   
«Even more!» Blue Diamond adds. «How do we know that you haven’t chosen it appositely for this task? This is a terroristic attack and you are now an accomplice!» 

Yellow knows exactly where this conversation is going. The fear on White Diamond’s face is enough to confirm it.   
But she doesn’t care. She searches Blue with her eyes and all she wants to do is hold her. She fights to keep her body still, to concentrate on what’s happening in front of her, to listen to White Diamond’s attempts to clear herself. 

«No, listen – it wasn’t defective! Ask your Pearls-»   
«Pearl» Yellow Diamond does just that, and she turns to her quickly and Yellow struggles not to jump and squeal and ask forgiveness. «Do you know how to determine a defect?» 

A defect.   
This is how they divide them. Defective or functioning. Nothing more. 

They say they are made to serve, and they are, but they’re also so much more and nobody knows. The only thing that makes a difference between a _defective_ Pearl and a _functioning_ one is the shape of their gem. It doesn’t affect the obedience, the attitude, the skills, but every other gem on this stardamned system believes so and Pearls let them. Who could say the contrary? It’s the safest way to survive. 

And _of course_ she knows how to determine a defect – she has eyes after all, and the real wonder is how White Diamond never noticed the oval gem on White’s forehead – she also knows how to stay quiet about it, for the matter. She knows a lot of things and feels a lot of things, like _anger_ , like _pain_ , and she hates her Diamond and hates Homeworld and hates herself for being such a coward.

She wonders what would happen if she just answers that, if she just says what she thinks for once in her life. 

Like White did. 

But White is gone. And she may be a coward, but she’s not an idiot. 

«No, My Diamond» she bows a little, trying not to show how much she’s trembling. «It’s not in my competences».   
«See?» Yellow Diamond turns to the others with a satisfied grin. «These useless things are no useful witnesses to your shabby defense».   
«We should sue you» Blue Diamond says. «What if your Pearl’s defect has spread to ours? Do you know how much a Pearl costs these days?» 

Yellow is going to throw up. 

White Diamond doesn’t reply anymore. It’s clear that they’re both against her. 

«But your crime is even worse» Yellow Diamond declares. «You are an accomplice in the assassination of Pink Diamond. And once we find Rose Quartz and that worthless piece of rock, you will be prosecuted among them, as the criminal you are. Jaspers!» 

Yellow remembers the whole castle trembling when the bomb was set off – at least she _thinks_ was a bomb, that is what everyone was shouting. She remembers leaning over the window with Blue, watching what was left of Pink Diamond’s spaceship crash on the ground with a second great explosion, and an even bigger fire. She remembers the Diamonds running away from the room, shouting, shocked, confused.   
She remembers Blue pulling her shoulder pad, screaming even without a voice and pointing at empty walls, before she realized that White wasn’t in the room.   
That White had never been in the room. 

_They wouldn’t even notice if we disappeared_ , White had once said. 

Yellow remembers how much she hated her for being right, before she started running. 

A blink of an eye and Yellow regains consciousness of the surroundings, even if her chest feels heavy. Three Jaspers run into the room in a matter of seconds. They stand uptight, waiting for orders. 

«Accompany White Diamond to the most comfortable prison cell in my castle» Yellow Diamond is smirking victoriously and Yellow feels sick. «Once the emergency state is placated, we’ll employ to transfer you in an intergalactic prison. For now, you’ll have to settle». 

The Jaspers are way smaller than White Diamond, but they don’t appear intimidated. Two of them stand at her side, another behind her, and White Diamond doesn’t object. 

«You can’t do this» it’s her last attempt. «You need a council decision to arrest a Diamond».   
«Well, Pink Diamond is dead» Blue Diamond says. «We are the only three left. And we agree on your reclusion».   
«You better watch your back» White Diamond snarls. «She will stab you too when she has the possibility».   
«Take her away» Yellow Diamond waves her hand, scornful. The Jaspers start to move, and White Diamond follows them, with nothing but a last threatening glare against Yellow Diamond. 

Yellow understands what it means to have no weapons to fight. 

Blue Diamond brings her hands to her head, they disappear under her cape. 

«You played your cards well» she admits. «But this is still a disaster».   
«It is» Yellow Diamond concedes. «Let’s go see what’s happening down here. And they better know where Rose Quartz has gone». 

They exit, leaving Yellow and Blue alone, and the air is suddenly clear again. 

Blue immediately lifts her hand to rub the arm White Diamond held with violence, a slight expression of pain on her face. Yellow would want to ask sorry, to check if she’s okay, but all she can do is falter near the wall and slide against it until she’s sitting on the floor. 

They’ve done it. They’re safe.   
Now it’s her _stardamned turn_ to cry. 

And she does, hiding her face and her sobs in her hands. Blue notices anyway, and kneels next to her – Yellow tries to push her away at first, but easily gives up and lets Blue hold her, not caring about the tears that Blue is crying and that are wetting her arms. 

«She left» Yellow says, and nothing else matters, it doesn’t matter what they’ve witnessed now between the Diamonds or what they’ve said about them. Because they’re just useless things, aren’t they? They don’t matter to anyone else, so they should at least matter to each other. «She just left». 

Blue nods slowly, her grip tightens. 

If they hadn’t ran after her in a desperate attempt to make her stay, White would have left without a word, without saying goodbye. Without letting them know that she was crying, too.   
Yellow holds Blue and is hold by her, and meanwhile thinks about White and her eyes and her smile and it doesn’t matter how much she loves Blue, she misses White’s arms around her. 

She wonders if she could have done something, said something, to make her stay. 

As if she’s reading her mind, Blue slowly shakes her head and hides herself in curve of her neck. In a deep place inside her mind, Yellow knows that this was bound to happen. Yellow knows that White couldn’t stay – that she longed freedom like nothing else and that she was ready to sacrifice anything, _anything_ for it. 

It doesn’t hurt any less, to know that. Or make her less angry. 

She shifts in place. They should get up, they should dry their tears, they shouldn’t lower their guards. Just because White is gone, the world hasn’t stopped. White has left and it _hurts_ but they need to move on. 

«She’s gone, Blue». 

But not from their hearts, she’s not, and this is what she hates the most.


End file.
